Chen, Jennifer Jun-Li

Dr. Jennifer Jun-Li Chen is currently Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education and Family Studies at Kean University. She earned her Ed.D. in Human Development and Psychology from Harvard University. Dr. Chen’s research interests revolve around child development and student achievement.

2007 0-7734-5507-8This book investigates student achievement in Hong Kong, using empirical quantitative study testing the hypothesis that Hong Kong students’ self-perceived academic support is related to their achievement. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that the students’ perceived levels of parental, teacher, and peer support were all indirectly related to their academic achievement mediated by their own perceived academic engagement. In addition, both perceived parental support and perceived teacher support were also directly related to academic achievement, demonstrating that student achievement was a combined outcome of both direct and indirect effects of perceived support from parents and teachers. Comparatively, however, perceived teacher support made the greatest contribution to student achievement. Perceived peer support had the smallest, nonetheless significant, indirect relationship to academic achievement. This study also revealed important gender differences as well as grade-level differences in the relationships of perceived academic support from parents, teachers, and peers to academic achievement directly and indirectly through perceived academic engagement.